How the Hell Are You Supposed to Style Short Hair in the Summer?

If you're...everyone, you most likely cut your hair into some sort of short style—be it a pixie, a shag, a bob, or the ever-popular lob—within the last year. And you felt Kate Mara–cool. That is, you did until summer suddenly decided to happen. That's when things got frizzy, fluffy, and uncool. But unlike your long-locked counterparts, you don't have the option of throwing your hair into a quick topknot or side braid and calling it a (really, really hot) day. To find out how to deal with short hair in the summer, I asked Tim Rogers, hairstylist at the Sally Hershberger Salon in New York, creative director for Living Proof, and short-hair wizard (he's worked with Carey Mulligan, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss) for advice.

Rethink your defrizzers.

Step away from the silicones and oils. "People often reach out to [products with those ingredients] because they think weighing their hair down is going to give them control. But in reality, oil and silicone are porous to humidity, so they aren't necessarily guaranteed to fight frizz," explains Rogers. Instead, he recommends Living Proof's PHD Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment (it's also one of my all-time favorite products). "It's so good because it has OFPMA [a combination of two molecules that smooths frizz and enhances shine] and it's so much more effective than heavier ingredients," he says. And unlike defrizzers that rely on silicones, it won't turn fine hair greasy the next day—and I'm speaking from personal experience. Another thing to avoid? Water. "Turn the bottle around and look at the ingredients of whatever product you're using. Water is one of the key ingredients in most hair products, but anything with a really high water content isn't going to be helpful against frizz," says Rogers.

Be strategic with hair accessories.

Yes, a headband or barrette can be helpful for getting your hair off of your face. But Rogers sums it up best: "They can be a little dorky. I often think they end up looking too sweet. Look for a thin, double-strand headband or a head wrap that covers the tops of your ears. Those can be kind of cool, and that's a way of making it a little bit more stylish," he says.

Wash your hair every day.

Even if you've been reading up on the merits of skipping shampoo, that doesn't really apply to short hair in the summer, says Rogers. "It's a good idea to start out the day with clean hair because you're going to get more control that way, and you need to be able to layer in the products," he explains.

Your flatiron is your new best friend.

"Especially with bobs, you should use a flatiron when you can, even if your hair is straight to begin with. It helps to seal the hair in place. Then you can make a deeper side part than you normally would and tuck it behind your ear to get it out of your face," says Rogers.

If your hair is really short (or you just can't bring yourself to plug in a hot tool) your best bet is to channel Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love video.

"If you think of that video [and] all of those Calvin [Klein] campaigns over the years, slicked-back hair is such a great look. And it's a great way to control the hair," says Rogers. This is definitely a statement: The point is for your hair to look wet—but that doesn't mean you want it to be crunchy or stiff. Smooth a generous amount of Shu Uemura Art of Hair Fiber Lift gel through your hair and comb it back. "Then forget about it. And maybe pair it with a mad red lip," says Rogers. 1980s MTV, here you come.